Corrugation-forming dies for metal plates



April 28,' 1925.

1,535,295 w. M. coNNERY CORRUGATION FORMING DIES FOR METAL PLATES me@ July 16. 1924 sheets-sheet 1 4.A 5?" 2z 74 ri' a Z "F April 428, '1925.

W. M. CONNERY coRRUGATIoN FRMING fm2-:s Fon METAL PLATES Filed July 15, 1924 .2' sums-sneu "z gym/vanto@ Wl'am M 670111105?,

M amm? the art.

Patented Apr. Z8, 1925.

WILLIAM M GONNERY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GORRUGATIN-EORMING DIES FOB METAL PLATES.

- Application fumi July is, 1924;, serial no. 726,345.

To all 107mm t may concer/2jr.'

Be it known that lVILLrAM M. CONNERY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, has invented new and useful Corrugation-Forming Dies for Metal Plates, of which the 'tollowing is a specification.

Corrugated sheet metal and forming machines or dies therefor are well known in However, corrugated sheet metal is made of relatively thin material and the corrugations are successively formed. The corrugations are constructed by forming` machines or by meansof dies where the forming faces come together closely and also where the forming faces have successive projections and depressions. These articles of manufacture are commercially known as corrugated sheet metal, and in some cases the walls of the corrugations are tluted according to the forming faces of the dies. ln other words, the dies or the forming parts of a machine have their forn'iing faces lluted, so as to construct the walls of the corrugations with flutes or other shapes.

'lhere is no claim made, in the present invention, for the production of what is commercially known as corrugated sheet metal or for dies to form such materiali, whether or not fluted surfaces are used.

@n the 16th day of May, 1922, United States Letters Patent No. 1,416,334 was issued to llllilliam M. Connery, setting forth and claiming a flue and flue sections as well as a plate metal section wherein corrugations at infrequent intervals are used for constructing a flue or flue section.A

lt is, therefore, the purpose of the present invention to provide an improved corrugation forming die to be used in connection with metal forming machines for pressingl the corrugation or indentation into a relatively thick plate metal. In fact, corrugations or indentations having` flat sloping or other shaped sides or walls at infrequent and varying intervals Y are 'to ber formed in thick plate metal, 'whereby "fines and tine sections or other articles having` walls may be stitiened insuch wise as to permit the walls'to expand and contract or to permit the walls to relatively move, due to vibrations.

lt is also well known that metal, when rolled to form plate meta., varies in thickness at various points throughout the area of the metal. These varying thicknesses may occur in the severed portion of the metal plate or toward the edges, due to the rolls of the rolling mill yielding too much at their ends or their central portions. The metal used for making various wall sections, or walls of coal bunkers or like articles, average substantially three-sixteenths of an inch in thickness, more or less, and in this case, should an attempt be made to corrugate plates of this character by forming machines or dies at present used for constructing successive corrue'ations, the machines would either break or jam. Infact, the forming dies which may be used for corrugating plates will break or am, particularly where these relatively thickmetal plates vary at different points throughout their area. Parts of the machine may break. In other words, when the forming faces come together and contact with the large surfaces,vthe parts of the machine are put under considerable strain at portions thereof and in other parts, the strain or jamming forces are not present.y hence the corrugations are of deformed character and will not serve the purpose to the best advantage.

In the application above mentioned, provision is made for compensating for the varying thickness of the metal plate at various points throughout the area of the plate, thereby permitting the corrugation to be formed with sloping walls or other shaped walls in order that they may uniformly expand or contract and uniformly reinforce or stillen a structure. The provision made in said application consists of` grooves constructed in the faces of the dies, to take up for the varying thicknesses in metal plates.

The present invention includes provision to compensate for the varying thicknesses in metal plates lout in au entirely different manner. The present invention consists of the forming dies, a :lined head and a movable follower head, the former carrying a steel knife with planed edges, the latter' havin g a. channel to receive the knife freely with considerable clearance around the knife, allowing suflicient space to compensate for the varying thicknesses in the metal plate. l-"urthermore, the channel may he of sutlicient depth to permit corrugations of varying depths to be formed.

Also, in the application above mentioned,

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pi'o ision is made to permit the plate metal to creep trom either oi the sides ot' the lixed and movable leads. n other words, prior to the above iiientioncd application and the present construction ot' corrugation torining means, sheet inetai formingmachines permitted the metal to creep Vtrom one side only which necessitated greater pressure to be used to bring' the movable toiloiver head toward the listed head, and to iacilitate the creeping' ot toe metal 'trom either ot the sides ot the i'ixed and movable heads, provision is made to alloiv the metal to slide iasily as the cori'iiiation is 'formed in the channel, due lo the Yl'olloiver head moving` toward the fixed bead ano receiving' the coi'- i'un'ation 'termine' linile.

another purpose is to provide reversible 'lacing' bars removably attached to the walls ol the channel oi the movable i'ollovver head, provided ivith arcuate over which the metal plate may Vfreely creep and iteed the plate is vtermed with a corri gz-jation.

`Still another purpose is to provide lengg'itudinal beads on the 'orriic'ation termini; knife acting' to overcome the ditlei'cnt ha rdiiesscs ol the metal pla Ye, and it is to be noted that the radii ot the arcuate edges ot the reversible tacing;i bars are to some extent dependent on the position et the beads ou opposite sides ot' the corriigation forming linit'e.

fr Yfurther purpose is the provision ot abutment beads removably attached to the remote corners ot the tilted head so that the action ot the beads on the corriigl'ation `tormiire' lini'lI and the edrjes ot the lacing: bars, in eoniiinc ion with the abutment beads? ivill enable the corrufclja'iion to tatie the desired sl ape.

The depending' part oli the i'oi'i'ugaiion Y[forming linit'e also constitutes a Yl'artoi' in connect ion ivitli governing the depth and the shape ot' the corrne'ation. Yin lica it is the combination ot arts carried these various p bv the lined and movable 'follower heads that produces and `governs` any desired Ytorni oi' vvidtli oi' depth o'lC corri :Lation within the compass olt the corrue'ai ion forming' dies.

,i still further purpose is to construct the lined and movable 'lolloiver heads in such wise that the inclination ot ie lapping walls olf the cl anuel ot the moval e Ytolloiver head may cor 'pond with the inclination or tl il beveled 'laces ot the eori'u;atiini forming); liiii'iev which beveled ilaces are coextein sive with the iii'ved ices oi the beads on the l-niter` thereby ier soveriiing` the ii'n'inatioii ot il fr still i'urther purpose is ti positioi. tl e abutii'ien beads relative to tl' tf e,

time oi 'termine the ii'niiiii' liniiie at i il, eorruggationI` the abn"- inent beads will position on opposite remote si( es ot the edges ot the 'lacing bars and thereby govern the positions ot the metal plate on opposite sides ot the corrugatioa. in other Words, the metal plate on opposite sides o't the corrugation may entend in horizontal corresponding planes or at anyY angle. it depending' entirely upon the position otI the movable iolloiver head when it is brought to rest.

It is to be understood that the particulars herein given are in no i'ay limitative A'ill that ivhile still keeping,r within the scope ol the invention7 any desired moditications oi' detail and desired proportion.I inay be made iii the apparatus according to circumstances.

The invention comprises 'turtlier lealiii'es and combinations ot parts as ivill be hereiiiai'ter set 'tortln shovvn in the di'aiviiias and claimed.

lin the drawings:

Figure l. is a vieiv in perspective ot an improved coi'riigation 'forming dier` showing the lined and movable 'tolloiver heads in position ready to i'eceivI a piece o'lE plate metal to be termed With a cori 'iig1ition.

Figure 2 is a sectional vieiv through the lixei and movable jtolloivei' heads, showing a piece otI plate metal in position to receive the first stage o't 'forming' the corrug'atitun lfiggjure 3 is a sectional vieiv showing' a second stage. i

lili 'ere is a sectional vievvv showing' the third stage.

Figure is a sectional vie showingy thc inal stage in torinine' the corrugfalion.

Figure (i is a view siioivinn circular lit-ed and movable Yiolloiver heads Vtor the purpose o'l construrtiiig a corrugatnin ot arcuate Yl'ormation.

lleiierrineY to the drawings, movable i'olloiver h ad supporting' girder which is designed to be operatively mounted in a toundation, the same being operated in any suitable manne' and by any convenient meansr` preferably hydraulic power (not shown). rihis A'ii'der has an upper bed plate the upper surface ot which is planed and is adapted to support the in'ovablc Vtolloiver head 3. lin tact, the undei' surlace o i' the liolloivei' head is channeled as shown. 'aiisiiie' a sea' e.- to be 'tormed which includes The bottom oi. theI se 1 desie'nat es a side shoulders 5. i at, is plancd, so that when the iollovrer head is placed in position ou the movable girder, the

tifo plaiied siirtaces closely engage throun'nout their entire areas. The shoulders overhang and engage the side edges o't the bed. plate ot the girdar, acting' to i'ein'oi'ce the connections and relieve any strain that may occur on the securing bolts 6.

The follower head, which may also be termed a bolster, is in the 'form ot a casting. i" d to liebten it` its sides are cu a va): caesz i ing pockets T to be formed, there being inn tervening ribs 8 which act to reinforce the structure of the follower' head ory bolster. The securing bolts 6 which 'fasten the follower' head or bolster on the girder pass through the base of the head or bolster and through the side flanges of the bed plate of the girder, their lower' ends having suitable nuts to hold the bolts secure and thereby retain the head or bolster on the girder.

At present, in constructing a flue section, plate or wall plate with infrequent corrugations, it is customary to insert plates from six to eight or ten feet in length and width between the fixed and movable follower' heads for the purpose of applying corrugations to the plates, though it is obvious that corrugations inay be applied to plates of any dimensions. For instance, corrugations may be applied to plates in lengths of ten, twelve to fourteen and sixteen feet and to accoininodate plates of these different lengths, it is a purpose of this invention to construct the follower head or bolster in sections so that any number of bolster or follower head sectionsinay be applied to the girder. In this event, the ends of the follower'head or bolster sections have suitable openings 9 for the reception of bolts (not shown) which are used to connect the sections of the follower head or bolster together.

rlhe follower head or bolster has a longitudinal cent 1al channel 10 which may be any width and depth and any shape, preferably of generally V contour. However, the lower portion ofthe channel may, in soine instances, have parallel opposed walls 11, while the upper parts of the walls of the channel inay diverge. The opposed diverging portions of the walls of the channel are grooved or cut to provide seats 12 for the reception of facing' bars 13. The flat surfaces of the seats 12 are constructed in thesanie general plane with the diverging portions of the walls of the channel.

The lower' portions of the seats 12 are arcuate, as at 1st, and the facing bars 13 are correspondingly arcuate, as at 15. on their opposite longitudinal'edges. Obviously, the facing bars are reversible, so that either of the arcuate edges thereof may be used for guiding the plate when creeping frein opposite sides of the follower head or bolster' during the forining of the corrugation. The arcuate portions of the seats 12 are of the saine curvature as the arcuate edges of the facing bars, so that when the facing bars are in their seats, a close lit will be assured.

The facing bars inay be made in sections or in lengths to correspond to the full length of the follower head or bolster. Preferably, the facing bars are designed to be constructed in sections 'corresponding to each section of the bolster or follower head, so that any pair of facing bars inay be fitted to a section of the bolster, The facing bars have a, plurality of bolt receiving openings 16, theopposite ends of which have beveled countersinks for the purpose of countersinlring the heads of bolts 17 which pass through the walls of the channel and through the facing bars, there being nuts 18 on the ends of the bolts and located in the pockets of the follower head or bolster, so that access thereto is easily had.

The facing bars are not only reversible to perniit either of their arcuate edges to be located adjacent the upper part of the follower head or bolster, but reversible to en able either of the faces of the bars to oppose each other. This inay be accomplished due to the fact that the bolt receiving openings have their opposite ends provided with beveled countersinks. Certain walls of the pockets of the follower head or bolster diverge upwardly corresponding to the diverging wallsV of the channel 10.

rlhe ai'cuate edges of the facing bars protrude beyond the upper portion of the bolster and are provided for the purpose of permitting the plate, when being equipped with a corrugation, to ride Vtliereover when creeping toward the channel fromy opposite sides of the bolster'. These arcuate edges of the facing bars inay protrude any distance above the upper portion of the bolster. The corrugation, when completed, extends downwardly and, due to the arcuate edges protruding beyond the upper portion of the bolster, the opposite sides of the plate inay be forced downwardly to assuine partially diverging positions. These diverging positions of the opposite sides of the plate depend entirely upon the distance the opposite edges of the facing bars protrude beyond the upperportion of the bolster.

rlhe opposite sides of the plate, that is, beyond the corrugation which is being forined, nray extend in corresponding horizontal planes and not be disposed in downwardly diverging positions while the plate is being forined with a corrugation. How over, the opposite sides of the plate beyond the corrugation inay be disposed to diverge upwardly, that is, upwardly as long as the plate is resting upon the bolster. The positions of the opposite sides of the plate relative to the corrugation depend entirely up on the location where the follower` head may cease to inove, that is, `with relation to the fixed head 19.

The fixed head 1.9 is also in the forni of a. casting which inay be any proportions and any suitable shape, and it has adjacent its under face a longitudinal groove constituting a seat 2O for the reception of a` corrugation forming knife 21. The fixed head inay be of a length suitable to the inaxinunn length of the bolster or follower head and will, therefore, acconinnodate holsters or follower heads of less lengths.

Adjacent the opposite sides of the fixed head there are longitudinal recesses angular in cross section constituting seats 22 for the reception of the abutment beads 23. These abutment beads extend the full length of the fixed head and are secured in position in the seats by means of screw bolts 24. The fixed head may be any width according to the width of the widest portion between the facing bars, so as to permit the abutment beads 23 to position upon remote sides of the arcuate edges of the facing bars, that is, when the bolster or follower head ceases in its movement upwardly. lf the widest portion between the facing bars is increased, then the distance between the abutment beads is increased.

The abutment beads protrude downwardly below the under face of the fixed head, so as to straddle the arcuate edges of the facing bars for the purpose of controlling the positions of the opposite sides of the plate as it is being formed with its corrugation. The remote sides of the abutment beads are curved on their edges, as at 25, to permit the plate as it is being bent to feed thereover and to easily creep from opposite sides of the head as the bolster moves upwardly with the girder.-

The corrugation formingl knife protrudes downwardly from the under face of the fixed head and is provided with opposite beveled faces 26 which diverge in the same general direction as the diverging walls of the channel l0. The greater portion of the corrugation forming knife has its opposite .faces parallel and between where the lower portions of the parallel faces terminate merging into the diverging` faces 26, side bars constituting beads 27 are fastened to the knife. These beads or side bars 27 may be removably fastened to the knife or welded thereto, and they protrude laterally sufficiently so that their curved faces may be co-extensive with the diverging faces 26, acting to govern the divergent directions of the walls of the corrugation formed in the plate and to enable an arcuate corrugat'ion to be constructed.

The side bars or beads 27 and the abutment beads 23 are to be arranged to suit different thicknesses of plate. rl`he side bars or beads 27 may be either bolted or welded to the knife and are necessary to overcome the different hardnesses of plate. It has been found through experience that if cold metal plates to be formed with corrugations were of equal hardness, the function of the beads or bars 27 would be dispensed with, but as it has been found through the same experience that the angle of the sides of the corrugation formed by the knife 26 will differ with the variation in the hardness or stiffness of the plates, it .has been found necessary to provide some means to insure a reasonable similarity in form, that is, similarity in the form of the corrugations of the various plates. lfb:- periences along this line show that the tendency of soft plates is to cling toward the knife as the knife is in the act of forn'iing the corrugation, hence some such means as the beads or bars 27 must be used to regulate the uniformity of the angle of the corrugation.

As previously stated, after considerable experimenting, the use of beads or bars 27 has been found most practical. rlfhe beads or bars 27 come into play almost at the end of the downward stroke of the knife, pushing the sides of the corrugation apart to a fairly uniform distance. This distance is not absolutely uniform in every instance due to the variation in the hardness of the plates. For instance, it has been found that soft plates stay where they are pushed while those of increased hardness have a tendency to spring back slightly and in order to prevent the springing back of the sides of the corrugation, the beads or bars 27 are employed. Vhen the sides of the corrugation spring back, they do contact with the beads, hence it will be seen how the beads or bars 27 act to cooperate with the plates according to the different hardnesses thereof. The radii of the arcuate edges of the facing bars are dependent upon the position of the side bars or beads 27. Their action, in combination with the abutment beads 3, gives the plate the desired shape of corrugation or indentation.

rIhe lower projecting part of the corrugation forming knife also constitutes` an essential factor' in constructing the corrugation. In fact, due to the projecting part of the eorrugation forming knife being thin enough and due to having parallel opposed faces with the side bars or beads attached thereto, the corners adjacent these parts are permitted to receive the varying inequalities in the plate. In fact, it is the combination of these various features and formation of the follower head and the fixed head, the channel l() and the corrugation forming knife that causes the production of any desired form or width or depth of indentation or corrugation within the compass of the die. The diverging faces 26 extend in the same general direction as the diverging portions of the opposite walls of the channel '1 l) which also insures the proper forming of the corrugation.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed is:

l. As an article of manufacture, a fixed head provided with a corrugation forming knife, and a removable bolster or head, the latter having a channel to receive the corrugation when formed by the knife, said channel having opposed reversible facing bars l masses with their edges projecting beyond the upn per portion of the bolster and over Awhich a plate creeps during the forming of the corf rugation, the fined head having n'ieans to straddle the facing bars and acting to depress the opposite sides of the plate the required distance. Y

2. The combination With a fixed die head provided with a corrugation forming means, of a movable bolster or head associated in opposed position to the fixed head and having a channel to receive the corrugation formed by the knife, said knife having opposed beads positioned to overcome the different hardnesses of plate during the forming of the corrugation.

The combination with a fixed die head provided with a corrugation forming knife, the lower portion of which is provided with opposed diverging faces, of a movable boln ster or head associated in opposed position to the fixed die head and provided With a channel to receive the eorrugation when formed by the knife, the channel having opposed diverging Walls, said diverging `Walls at their lower portions merging` into parallel opposed Walls forn'iing an extended bottoni to th channel to permit of additional movement for the knife, whereby the corrugation may be formed with increased depth, sad walls also terminating' at their upper portions in arcuate edges protruding beyond the upper portion of the bolster and over which a plate may creep from opposite sides of the bolster.

4. The combination with a fixed die head provided "with a corrugation forming knife, the lower portion of which is provided with opposed diverging faces, of a movable bolster or head associated in opposed position to the fixed die head and provided with a channel to receive the corrugation when formed by the knife, the channel having opposed diverging walls terminating at their upper portions in arcuate edges protruding beyond the upper portion of the bolster and over which a plate may creep from opposite sides of the bolster, and opposed beads fined to the opposite faces of the knife constituting means to overcome the different hardnesses of plate, the lined die head having abutment beads to straddle the arcuate edges of the diverging vvalls of the channel.

5. rlhe combination with a fixed die head provided with a corrnga't-ion forming knife, of a movable bolster head having a channel with diverging walls to receive the corrugation formed by the knife, the diverging Walls having longitudinal seats, and reversible elongated facing bars mounted in the seats.

G. The combination With a lined die head provided With a corrugation forming knife, of a movable bolster head having a channel With diverging walls to receive the corrugation formed by the knife, the diverging Walls having longitudinal seats, and reversible elongated. facing bars mounted in tl e seats, said facing bars having opposite longitudinal arcuate edges to protrude beyond the upper portion of the bolster and over which a platel may creep from opposite sides of the bolster.

7. The combination with liXed die head provided With a corrugation forming knife, of a movable bolster head having a channel with diver-ging walls to receive the corrugation formed by the knife, the diverging Walls having seats, reversible facing bars mounted in the seats, said facing bars having opposite longitudinal arcuate edges to protrude beyond the upper portion of the bolster and over which a plate may creep from opposite sides of the bolster, and abutment beads detachably carried by the remote edges of the fined head and adapted to straddle the arcuate edges of the facing bars for governing the positions of the opposite sides of the plate.

8. rlhe combination With a fixed die head provided with a corrugation forming knife, of a movable bolster head having a channel with diverging ivalls to receive the corrugation formed by the knife, the diverging Walls having seats, reversible facing bars mounted in the seats, said facing bars having opposite longitudinal arcuate edges to protrude beyond the upper portion of the bolster and over Which a plate may creep from opposite sides of the bolster, and abutment beads detachably carried by the remote edges of the lined head and adapted to straddle the arcuate edges of the facing bars for governing the positions of the opposite edges of the plate, the lower portion of the corrugation forming knife having diverging faces, the remaining portions of the faces of the knife being parallel and provided with beads constituting means to overcome the different hardnesses of plate.

9. The combination with a lined die head provided with a. corrugation forming knife, of a movable bolster head having a channel with diverging Walls to receive the oorrugation formed by the knife, the diverging Walls having seats, reversible facing bars mounted in the seats, said facing bars having opposite longitudinal arcuate edges to protrude beyond the upper portion of the bolster and over which a plate may creep from opposite sides of the bolster, and abutment beads detachably carried by the remote edges of the fixed head and adapted to straddle the arcuate edges of the facing bars for governing the positions of the opposite sides of the plate, the lower portion of the corrugation forming knife having diverging faces, the remaining portions of the faces of the knife being parallel and provided with beads constituting means to overcome the different hardnesses of plate, the association of the knife with the Channel of the bolster, together with their relative proportions, permitting of the reception of the Varying in- @qualities of the plate and causing the plate to Creep or feed froin opposite sides of the bolster.

10. The combination with a, fixed die head provided with a oorrug'ation forming,` knife, the lower portion of which is provided with 10 opposed divere'ing faces, of ainovable bolster or head associated in opposed position to the Iixed die head and provided with a channel to receive the eorrugation when formed by the knife, the channel having opposed 15 diverging walls, said diverging walls at VILLIAM M. CONNERY.

lVitnesses lV. E. VEsCOT'r, R. A. Boswrnn. 

